Southern Rail STRIKE details

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Ah. Peter Kyle and Nicholas Soames joining forces, scrutiny over the type of franchise given to GTR, hints at less than honest conduct by Southern, general despair that nobody has commuters in minds.

I think the key word here is 'scrutiny'. While GTR were able to keep the dispute low-key and local news, they had the upper hand. It's gone national now, and all kinds of people are asking all sorts of questions about GTR's highly dubious tactics during the dispute. Hopefully they'll shortly now be forced to climb down (or be ordered to by their political paymasters who are now getting increasingly dragged into the dispute).

 

[Deadly Danson]

I see the new 700s (more standing room, no wifi or tables) have started to carry passengers today. I think she arrived at London Bridge 16 mins late and then arrived back at Brighton 47 minutes late. Not bad in the current climate.
Oh and until further notice they can't enter Platform 3 at Brighton or Platform 15 at London Bridge and can't set down or pick up passengers at Tulse Hill Plat 1-4, Balcombe both platforms, Gatwick Platform 6, Purley Oaks Platform 1, Purley Platform 2, Redhill Platform 3 and can't turn back at East Croydon Platform 4 and 5, Redhill 1 and 2, Gatwick Platform 3, Haywards Heath Platform 3 or Three Bridges Platform 1. Good luck if you're stuck behind one of those. Anyone would think they are being rushed out to try and deflect criticism from GTR before tomorrow's strike.

 

[The Albion Roar]

I see the new 700s (more standing room, no wifi or tables) have started to carry passengers today. I think she arrived at London Bridge 16 mins late and then arrived back at Brighton 47 minutes late. Not bad in the current climate.

Oh and until further notice they can't enter Platform 3 at Brighton or Platform 15 at London Bridge and can't set down or pick up passengers at Tulse Hill Plat 1-4, Balcombe both platforms, Gatwick Platform 6, Purley Oaks Platform 1, Purley Platform 2, Redhill Platform 3 and can't turn back at East Croydon Platform 4 and 5, Redhill 1 and 2, Gatwick Platform 3, Haywards Heath Platform 3 or Three Bridges Platform 1. Good luck if you're stuck behind one of those. Anyone would think they are being rushed out to try and deflect criticism from GTR before tomorrow's strike.

Why can't they do these things at these stations?

 

[Deadly Danson]

Why can't they do these things at these stations?

As I understand it (and I may be proved wrong) it is due to gauging issues - i.e they don't fit very well alongside these platforms. There may also be platform length issues especially with turnbacks meaning if they go into a platform they are too long to get close enough to the signal so that they are behind the signal at the other end of the platform (again I'm happy to be corrected on this).

 

[beorhthelm]

As I understand it (and I may be proved wrong) it is due to gauging issues

you or someone mentioned this issue at South Croydon, which one can put down to an anomoly, an oversight they could probably correct at the station. but that many stations, and major ones such East Croydon, Gatwick, Three Bridges, Haywards Heath... a lot of people all the way through engineers, manufacturer, management, must have cocked up a lot of the procurement and delivery.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

As I understand it (and I may be proved wrong) it is due to gauging issues - i.e they don't fit very well alongside these platforms. There may also be platform length issues especially with turnbacks meaning if they go into a platform they are too long to get close enough to the signal so that they are behind the signal at the other end of the platform (again I'm happy to be corrected on this).

Would these restrictions be able to be pre-programmed into the system that controls the network, do you know? Seems to me that they would have to be, else any short notice platform alterations could well end up with the the shiny new trains scraping up against the side of the platform and having to be withdrawn from service for costly repairs. Platform might well need some repairs also.

 

[Deadly Danson]

Would these restrictions be able to be pre-programmed into the system that controls the network, do you know? Seems to me that they would have to be, else any short notice platform alterations could well end up with the the shiny new trains scraping up against the side of the platform and having to be withdrawn from service for costly repairs. Platform might well need some repairs also.

I'm not too sure to be honest - I guess signallers will have some memo or reminder device. Again, I'm not absolutely sure of the exact reasons for these platform prohibitions - it doesn't actually say on the GTR memo I'm looking at so it could be some other reason but highly embarrassing that the all singing and all dancing trains can't stop at so many platforms.

 

[Deadly Danson]

you or someone mentioned this issue at South Croydon, which one can put down to an anomoly, an oversight they could probably correct at the station. but that many stations, and major ones such East Croydon, Gatwick, Three Bridges, Haywards Heath... a lot of people all the way through engineers, manufacturer, management, must have cocked up a lot of the procurement and delivery.

Yes, it was me and the South Croydon issue was specifically down to gauging issues. I can't be sure of the exact reasons for these prohibitions - it would seem almost unbelievable that all those departments have cocked up so badly but then again, this is the railway so anything is possible. Certainly many platforms have already have had to be extended by a few metres or so in readiness for the 700s and as they were doing that I did think it would have been much easier just to design trains that would fit into the current infrastructure.

 

[Ernest]

I'm not too sure to be honest - I guess signallers will have some memo or reminder device. Again, I'm not absolutely sure of the exact reasons for these platform prohibitions - it doesn't actually say on the GTR memo I'm looking at so it could be some other reason but highly embarrassing that the all singing and all dancing trains can't stop at so many platforms.

It will all be in the sectional appendix, when they bring new stock in every route should be cleared and and restrictions should be there. They've obviously been rushed in for PR purposes as the necessary work to clear them should have been done before they ran in public service.

 

[The Albion Roar]

I see the new 700s (more standing room, no wifi or tables) have started to carry passengers today. I think she arrived at London Bridge 16 mins late and then arrived back at Brighton 47 minutes late. Not bad in the current climate.

Someone on Twitter said it 'missed three timetabled stops'.

Was that the platform / gauging issues? Know anything about it?

 

[Ernest]

Someone on Twitter said it 'missed three timetabled stops'.

Was that the platform / gauging issues? Know anything about it?

Wouldn't have been gauging issues as the train wouldn't have been allowed to pass through the platform

 

[Deadly Danson]

Someone on Twitter said it 'missed three timetabled stops'.

Was that the platform / gauging issues? Know anything about it?

I know that Balcombe was one of them and that's one of the stations where it's prohibited from picking up and setting down passengers - again the actual confirmed reason why it can't stop there I'm not completely sure.

 

[pasty]

So anyone attempted to go up to London today with a strike going on? Decided to WFH today and not bother.

 

[Hotchilidog]

Ironically the Brighton to London services seem to be fine today. 7.12 Express got to Gatwick early due to the lack of traffic on the line.

 

[Guinness Boy]

So anyone attempted to go up to London today with a strike going on? Decided to WFH today and not bother.

Not a chance after last night.

Left the office at 5.45 in Canary Wharf with the 6.10 from LB showing as "on time". Thought 'that's a result, I might make the football'. Got to LB to see it was cancelled but that the Eastbourne service was leaving at 6.23. Jumped on that, got a seat with full intention of changing at Haywards Heath. Delayed 10 minutes in to East Croydon due to congestion. Just after EC it stopped completely. First the guard told us the emergency cord had been pulled and then that there was a fault on the train and they would have to turn off power to check the outside of it!! Three minutes later the driver miraculously fixed it but we arrived in Haywards Heath a full 35 minutes late. Changed there for a Brighton train that stopped everywhere, Nothing moving on the West Coast so got a sherbert from outside the station.

Three hours, £56 on my travel card and a further tenner on the cab later I got in the door with ten minutes left of the first half.

Today I am working from home.

 

[synavm]

Found it easy this morning. My train was actually early rather than late. I understand not everyone has been that lucky, but for me the service has actually been far better than the dross you get on your average day.

Still want to see the franchise taken away from GTR with zero compensation paid to shareholders. Not a penny.

 

[CherryInHove]

Looked like trains on the way up to London were running fine, so was tempted to go up, but I suspect that as getting home from London in the evening is always a chore, I didn't want to get up there and be unable to get home, so decided to work from the Brighton office today. It's nice, I've got a view of the sea.

 

[pasty]

Not a chance after last night.

Left the office at 5.45 in Canary Wharf with the 6.10 from LB showing as "on time". Thought 'that's a result, I might make the football'. Got to LB to see it was cancelled but that the Eastbourne service was leaving at 6.23. Jumped on that, got a seat with full intention of changing at Haywards Heath. Delayed 10 minutes in to East Croydon due to congestion. Just after EC it stopped completely. First the guard told us the emergency cord had been pulled and then that there was a fault on the train and they would have to turn off power to check the outside of it!! Three minutes later the driver miraculously fixed it but we arrived in Haywards Heath a full 35 minutes late. Changed there for a Brighton train that stopped everywhere, Nothing moving on the West Coast so got a sherbert from outside the station.

Three hours, £56 on my travel card and a further tenner on the cab later I got in the door with ten minutes left of the first half.

Today I am working from home.

Sounds a little like the farcical 1815 GE from Victoria last night. Sat in the train from about 18:05, and 1815 came and went with no movement of the train or announcement as to why we hadn't moved. Eventually the chap working on the platform came on and said we were waiting for train crew. Then a driver turned up and we were told all everything ok, should be going shortly. About 5 minutes later, said driver came on and said we were still waiting for train crew and everyone should get off, go to platform 15 as there would be a service there leaving before this one. I stayed where I was for a minute or so to avoid the ubiquitous inconsiderate ********s having a bundle to get off the train, only to see them all running back less than a minute later as another announcement said we'd be leaving shortly.

Eventually left around 15 minutes late, trundled slowly down the line, and got to Brighton just under 30 minutes late (naturally so no delay repay). I guess I should have known better than to trust Southern to get me home in time for a footy match,

 

[Dick Head]

 

[Steve in Japan]

The Union and Southern Rail on Jeremy Vine now. I expect all will be resolved in minutes.